DESTREHAN, La. — Access to mental health resources can be challenging to find for the average person let alone students who are facing mounting anxiety.
District leaders in St. Charles Parrish recognized that challenge and introduced a no-cost mental health program so students could easily seek therapy at school.
“I’m just trying to maintain everything all at once, and still keep my sanity,” said Brianna Anderson a senior at Destrehan High School.
Both Anderson and senior Kiley Posey say they understand the pressure that most high school students face each day.
“They feel like constantly a shining light is right in their face, everyone is watching everything they do,” said Posey. “It can be hard because you’re just living your life and you feel pressured.”
Posey says those pressures are felt every day.
“There is so many pressures, there is peer pressure, so many people, they will lead you down the wrong path. Like vaping, drugs, you see so much going on from people you would never expect it and it’s like everyone. You can’t turn away from it, it’s a problem.”
This year was the first full year Destrehan and Hahnville High School students were able to use the no-cost behavioral health support services provided by Access Health Louisiana.
“It’s a non-judgmental place to share their feelings in a safe way,” said Kerry Nesbit of Access Health Louisiana.
District officials started looking into the program before the onset of COVID in 2019 when they started noticing an uptick of students dealing with trauma. Those feelings were compounded with the COVID epidemic, Hurricane Ida and the rise in youth violence.
“Death and teens has been rising so much,” said Anderson. “When you are emotional I feel like you run to certain things and not everyone has that safe thing to run to so being able to go to a counselor about those emotions it really helps a lot.”
“The very first thing that you hear is like, 'We are here for you,'” said Posey. That is the best thing, the counselors, they will make an announcement to go to your counselor if you need to talk to somebody. Its just so good to have somewhere to turn to.”
According to Nesbit, many of the students she sees through the program say they don’t have an emotional outlet.
“A lot of students tell me, even as young as elementary age. They don’t want to burden their parents. They say, 'I see my parents fighting with the insurance company every day for our home repairs. The last thing I want to do is add my problems to their plate.'”
Recently the district administered a universal screener assessment to identify students who may be at risk for poor learning outcomes. Those students were given the option to utilize the mental health services.
The assessment revealed the most common issues students face is test taking anxiety and social anxiety.
“Everyone is different,” said Posey. “Even though you might think you know what is going on in their head you don’t and you have to have somebody to lean on. I’m glad that our parents are there and we always have a counselor at school to turn to.”